The Cost of a Life
by phthalow
Summary: What happens when someone gets to all of Kakuzu's intended bounties before he does? Would this person become a worthwhile asset to the Akatsuki or be killed due to Kakuzu's severe money and anger issues? KakuzuXoc
1. 12,000,000 Ryo

Well, it's almost 4 o'clock in the morning, and this chapter has been burning a hole in my laptop so I decided to finish it after my jam packed day of classes; so for all you Kakuzu fans, enjoy!

Also, disclaimer(s):

-I don't own any Naruto characters, they all belong to Kishimoto

-Kin is mine, so don't steal her! ;o

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Chapter 1: 12,000,000 Ryo

The bright, golden sun had risen to the highest point in the sky, its sweltering afternoon heat able to triumph even the strongest of ninja. But harsh mid-summer heat waves and the risk of dehydration didn't stop some from going about their daily lives.

Though the ground was dry, cracked and dusty, as it hadn't rained for weeks, a single pair of feet plodded on, one foot after the other carelessly kicking up small clouds of parched earth. The bounty hunter's sharp eyes were dazed and focused on nothing in particular, but the overwhelming amount of green violently forced its way to the center of her attention. How did all of these trees still display such vibrant, dazzling colors with so little rainfall in this scorching heat? Mother nature sure was a phenomenal being.

The eerie quiet of the forest became more conscious as each soft footstep sounded like shattering glass. Was she the only one making noise? As there wasn't a single wisp of wind to rustle the leaves or cool the droplets of sweat that decorated her brow. It was far too hot for the birds to be chirping, for they sat miserably in the trees with their delicate beaks wide open, breathing heavily.

The continuous sound of leather shoes scraping across the ground was far more irritating than the way the bounty hunter's clothes clung uncomfortably to her sweaty body. The weight of one pricey, full-grown man had been heaved over a small, but sturdy feminine shoulder. The bounty had been much too tall to be properly carried, and a pair of lifeless legs thoughtlessly trailed behind, his executioner being a bit on the small side.

The exchange station was near, and became closer with every painstakingly slow stride. Though, with each step she took the heavier her bounty seemed to get, and it didn't help one bit that he was already quite a hefty fellow. The young woman's back, neck and shoulders ached a good deal and fussed profusely anytime the deceased figure began to slip, throwing her center of balance off. No matter how much the hunter's body complained she wasn't going to leave this corpse to rot into the earth, not a chance.

Brilliant yet blistering rays of sunlight began to flicker through the hunter-green leaves more frequently than normal, a telltale sign that the forest was thinning. The outline of a small, nearly abandoned building began to come into view through the dispersion of trees. Just a little farther.

The sun beat down ferociously upon the bounty hunter and her slain target as they ambled out from under the safety of the foliage's cover. There were only a few hundred feet of searing open land, but it wouldn't be so bad if her pale skin wasn't already rejecting the large incoming and unavoidable vitamin D dose.

* * *

"Back so soon Kin?" Greeted the bounty exchange master.

Still blinded by the sudden change to darkness, Kin rubbed her eyes in hopes her pupils would dilate faster.

"Eh, it's been a few days, Zangei. I don't want anyone else making or taking my money." She replied, setting the corpse of a middle-aged, rogue ninja down with a thump. "I see the exchange office is still in this abandoned building's dingy bathroom."

Zangei's exchange office has been hidden in one of the building's bathrooms for years, and it was surprising how often it was over looked. The structure itself looked so run-down that it had practically been deemed harmless. It's just there, an eye sore, standing out like white on black, and yet no one cared enough to bother it. Though, it was mainly left untouched by locals and surrounding villages as they forgot such a building even existed.

The bounty exchange master let out a short snort, before heaving the corpse up onto a metal gurney that could be pushed back into the wall, like a human filing cabinet. Kin watched patiently as her bounty disappeared into the depths of the exchange station, never to be seen again, well, by her at least. She wasn't entirely sure what they did with the bodies of past bounties, and really didn't want to know.

"You're starting to sound a bit like Kakuzu with all this money talk, but more importantly, I do believe you've just earned yourself 12,000,000 ryo for this one. And might I add, it's quite impressive that almost every corpse you bring in is practically unscathed. They must be worth every single ryo, eh Kin?"

"Most aren't worth the trouble of quick cash." She griped under her breath and out of earshot, but still nodded in agreement.

_But, just who's this Kakuzu I'm being compared to?_ Kin had not a clue whom Zangei was talking about, though he did make him sound like a regular. But that didn't matter; she was getting to her targets before this bounty hunter was. Which meant money, and a lot of it, **if** her intended victim had a high price hung over his head. Though, the higher the price was, the stronger the opponent would be, which in turn, causes the large sum of money to be a riskier challenge. But, the previously mentioned twelve million ryo sounded of gold as it rolled off of the bounty exchange master's lips. Oh, and was it worth it.

The young woman keenly observed Zangei's skilled hands dial the combination of a lock, to the very well secured vault opposite the wall of corpses. Maybe, after all these years she'd finally learn the combination, but it became harder to see the closer he moved to the vault. Her ears caught a quiet, _'_speak of the Devil_', _muttered through dry, chapped lips as he glanced her way. She wasn't sure why he'd say that until a soft breeze brushed the nape of her neck. He wasn't muttering about her or the lock, but about who had just entered the bounty exchange shop.

* * *

"Hurry the fuck up and get your fucking money Kakuzu." Hidan sneered at his partner, clearly not wanting to be anywhere near or have anything to do with the bounty exchange office.

Kin discretely peeked over her shoulder, curious about the two men that had just entered the room. She felt like she's seen the pair once or twice before, but couldn't quite think of when or where. One of them had to be the 'Kakuzu' Zangei had mentioned only minutes before, not that she was curious or anything. Amber eyes were immediately drawn to the single, eye-catching scratch that severed any ties with each of their hometown villages, an obvious sign of a rogue or missing-ninja. But the way the pair was dressed, to her, seemed incredibly strange. A long, silky, black cloak with a high collar and multiple deformed, red clouds screamed attention to her dilated pupils. Wearing such obnoxious and easily identifiable clothing as a rogue was an easy way to get yourself killed in the ninja world, and quickly at that.

_Maybe their strange choice of clot- _

"Hey!" the silver-haired man jabbed, interrupting Kin's perplexed thoughts, "What the fuck do you think you're looking at bitch?"

His hair was pushed back and gleamed the color of dull silverware in the room's dreary, artificial light, and his eyes, they glistened a luminous amethyst. Kin found him to be a bit attractive, that is, before he opened his particularly foul mouth.

"Hidan." The masked man growled dangerously at his partner.

_Hm, so the one with the obscene mouth isn't Kakuzu._

Kin gave Hidan a snide smirk and remarked, "I'm not sure yet, Potty Mouth."

"Who the fuck do yo-"

Five of Kakuzu's tanned fingers had already begun to crush his partner's esophagus before one more word slipped from his lips, in an effort to shut him up. Maybe permanently, if he gripped Hidan's throat tight enough and completely pulverized his windpipe. That did sound rather appealing, as ignorance was virtually the only thing that crawled its way out of Hidan's mouth.

"It's nice to see another familiar face so soon, Kakuzu." Zangei said trying to break the newly formed tension, as he pulled a large briefcase from the safe.

_You can't fucking see his face you fucking dumbass, _Hidan fumed internally, unable to talk since Kakuzu's hand still remained firmly around his throat.

"I've only come for my money, " Kakuzu's voice was deep and less threatening as he tossed his bounty's corpse to the ground like a rag doll, "don't tell me you don't have it Zangei."

Kin curiously eyed Kakuzu, he was tall and from the looks of it, his body seemed to be very well built. Though, a discarded cloak might reveal his body's true stature. But the most mysterious thing about him wasn't the fact that he wore a mask that concealed the majority of his face, but were his eyes, fern-green colored irises with red sclera. It seemed much more unnatural and unusual than Hidan's gorgeous amethyst stained eyes.

"Ah, such typical thing for you to say, Kakuzu." The bald man hefted the briefcase onto a desk and patted its armored side blithely, "But don't worry."

Zangei gingerly pulled a key from around his neck to unlock the strongbox, and all eyes were on him the moment the lock clicked. His swift and skilled hands began to quickly count out Kin's twelve million. Kakuzu being the man he is, and will always be interested in money, and was curious as to what this young woman's bounty would amount to.

His sharp eyes floated over every single bill that passed through Zangei's rapid hands, as Kin really just appeared to stare at it, most likely internally drooling at the sight. Kakuzu didn't think she'd amount to much, but was exceeding his initial judgment.

_Three million, four million, five million…ten million, eleven million, twelve million._

"There's no way.." the masked man muttered bitterly under his breath.

"Alright Kin, you're all set."

The young bounty hunter gripped each bundle of money protectively, and stuffed it into the available areas of the cross-body bag that hung dangerously from her left shoulder. In Kakuzu's eyes a metal briefcase seemed to be a much safer, and even a more logical decision. Oh for Heaven's sake, she didn't even double-check the count of her money, but instead lustfully gawked at it.

"Twelve-million ryo is a lot of money, for such a little girl." His voice was quizzical with underlying tones of hostility.

"Yeah," Kin raised an eyebrow at Kakuzu as she sauntered past him, "and just what are you going to do about it?"

* * *

**A/n:** -For those of you confused as to who Zangei is, I promise he's an original Naruto character! (He can be found in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 76)

-If any of you are interested in what the **sclera** is, it's basically the whites of your eyes, though Kakuzu's happen to be red.

-12,000,000 ryo in the Naruto world is equal to about $1,560,000, now that's a lot of moolah!

-And I apologize for any silly grammar and spelling errors, it's way early and I'm way tired ;o

-Oh, and thank you darling people for reading my fic!


	2. Money Over Matter

**A/n: **Well, here's a short chapter, which means I'll have the next one out around Friday, enjoy guys!

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Chapter 2: Money Over Matter

* * *

_**Recap:**_

_**"Twelve-million ryo is a lot of money, for such a little girl." His voice was quizzical with underlying tones of hostility. **_

_**"Yeah," Kin raised an eyebrow at Kakuzu as she sauntered past him, "and just what are you going to do about it?" **_

* * *

The masked man wasn't expecting such a wise-ass answer, and was left practically speechless. His eyebrows furrowed lividly at the way she had gotten under his skin with just a few words. Kakuzu's eyes though, they were still steadily focused on the bills that shuffled blindingly through Zangei's hands. Once he was sure Kin had left the building his hand grudgingly released its relentless grip from Hidan's throat, aware of the unavoidable, obscene firestorm that would soon erupt from it.

Hidan snarled instantaneously the moment his vocals were unleashed. "Goddamn Kakuzu, what's got your fucking panties in a fucking wad?"

"You talk too much."

All of Kakuzu's attention was focused on his money as he paid no attention to the obscenity he called a 'partner'. Money was his everything, it gave his existence purpose; he lived it, and he breathed it. Its papery scent and texture was unmistakable, yet varied from bill to bill. To him, money is and will be the only dependable thing in the world.

"Ah, Kakuzu, you seem to have been losi-"

The masked man cut Zangei off as he was handed his rightful 750,000 ryo, his voice low and serious. "The girl, who was her bounty?"

"Er, a man by the name, Otsu Takezo. " the exchange master looked at him quizzically, though this wasn't the first time Kakuzu questioned who Kin's freshly slain target was. "Is there any particu-"

Hidan's partner let out a low, rigid growl as his right fist violently made contact with the wall nearest him. Damn that girl, damn her straight to Hell.

"We're going, Hidan." Kakuzu snapped as he whipped around abruptly to the door they had previously entered.

* * *

Kin's body was exhausted, and she felt it deep within her bones as they constantly screamed for rest. Though now wasn't the time to be stopping, anyone could be hot on her trail, and the bounty hunter didn't have time to become sidetracked.

She tried to adjust the money filled satchel to a comfortable position by roughly yanking on its strap, but the strip of leather decided to place itself uncomfortably in between her breasts instead. Muffled groans escaped through her closed lips as she decided it was best just to leave it where it was. Though the strap's location wasn't to her ideals, it was far better than a two hundred and seventy-six pound man weighing down her shoulders.

The sun had begun to descend from its throne in the sky, and early afternoon began to transform into late afternoon. Surely the heat of the day would recede the farther the glowing orb sunk into the horizon. But that kind of relief was hours away, as it was only beginning to sink. It'd be at least a good half a day's journey to the northern border of River Country, and at this rate, the young bounty hunter wouldn't be there until late into the night. At least the majority of her journey would be under the cover of nightfall, keeping most of the ravenous thieves at bay, or at least she hoped.

Droplets of sweat slowly trickled down the back of Kin's neck, underneath long, rusty red-brown hair as she drug her feet along the ground. A small breeze whispered in between the trunks of the forest's trees and chilled her sweat soaked body momentarily. Her eyes were beginning to lose focus as the sweltering heat's energy depleting effects were beginning to kick in. One breeze was just not enough.

* * *

"Jesus fucking Christ, old man, what the fuck's your problem?"

"Maybe if you paid attention and had some fucking intelligence in that goddamn head of yours, then maybe you'd understand that that girl is walking off with MY twelve-million ryo." Kakuzu's voice was hoarse and dangerously threatening.

Normally Hidan would've taken offense to his partner's accusations, but didn't dare let a single smartass comment slip from the depths of his throat. No one touches his money, ever, and he sure was fed up with this girl. Kakuzu was beyond infuriated and one idiotic wisecrack was sure to break all Hell loose.

The green-eyed man clenched his fists, empty or not, tight enough for the whites of his knuckles to show. His pulse pounded vigorously against the flesh of his neck due to a small shot of adrenaline flooding through his bloodstream. The heat radiating off of his forehead and cheeks became hotter the more his brain processed the situation.

There was absolutely no way that this was possible. But not matter how much he refused to believe it, some little brat had walked off with his money. This wasn't the first time that amber-eyed girl had beaten him to the kill and it infuriated him more than anything. Was he finally losing his touch?

"Jesus fuck Kakuzu, why don't you just fucking kill the bitch if she's taking all your goddamn fucking money."

An eerie quiet settled over the two Akatsuki members, and Kakuzu became seemingly calm to Hidan. Anything could be racing through his mind right now, and the amethyst-eyed man knew better than to think his partner was even the slightest bit unruffled.

"I've got a much better idea." He muttered bitterly under his breath, breaking the silence, as he executed a quick set of hand seals.

The masked man's voice sounded menacing, even if he was just talking under his breath. Though Hidan couldn't feel sorry for any soul that Kakuzu had a better plan for, as they had brought his Hell upon themselves.

"Hidan." Kakuzu began to walk away from the bounty exchange shop, briefcase in hand, leaving his shadow clone behind to find Kin's trail.

"Aren't we fucking going the wrong fucking way?" Hidan griped, "I'm not fucking walking all the fucking way back to the goddamned base."

Kakuzu ignored his obscene partner, as all he did was constantly whine and bellyache about anything and everything. It was either listen to this or hear him get worked up over his religious Jashinist bullshit. But, in retrospect too many words rolled off of Hidan's tongue, and if the masked man could have had things his way, well that amethyst-eyed atrocity would have been murdered a long, long time ago. Too bad immortality stood in his way.

* * *

**A/n:** - I don't have too many interesting facts today, except that "Kin" is Japanese for the color gold

-Feedback is always appreciated from you guys, and thank you to those of you already leaving reviews! You all put a smile on my face!


	3. Proposition

**A/n:** Well, here's an update after about a bajillion years, my apologies! I'm getting better at it though, er..sort of. Okay, I'll hush so you can read!

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Chapter 3: Proposition 

* * *

_**Recap: "Aren't we fucking going the wrong fucking way?" Hidan griped, "I'm not fucking walking all the fucking way back to the goddamned base."**_

* * *

The sun was finally beginning to sink into western horizon, and Kin's sluggish pace had barely changed from a walk. As the light of the world sunk lower, the trees seemed to whisper quietly amongst themselves as if they were alive. Branches and limbs lowest to the ground were like small hands, their boney digits reaching out to seize anything and everything within an arm's length. The bounty hunter pushed the hair-raising thoughts to the back of her mind; maybe it was just the dark messing with her eyes, or fatigue deceiving her whole body. Either way the eerie sensation stuck around, making her increasingly uneasy about nighttime trekking. Yet she forced herself to push on deeper into the flourishing twilight.

The sharp snapping of several twigs came as a deafening crack to Kin's ears. A sharp breath was drawn in as waves of fear began to paralyze her body; just what was out to get her? It was probably an animal, most likely a squirrel, maybe even a deer. But what if it wasn't an animal, what if it was something more? Thoughts of a predator lurking in the dark, human or beast, didn't help relax the bounty hunter in her current predicament.

Kakuzu's shadow clone stopped dead in his tracks as he felt the broken branchlet roll under his shoe. His black cloak camouflaged him in the dark, but he still quickly backed up against a tree, putting himself out of sight. Though he was far enough away not to be seen, Kin most definitely heard the racket his feet had carelessly kicked up.

Her legs felt like lead weights. And try as she might, they wouldn't budge, not even an inch. A pair of pupils were as dilated as could be, nervously searching the dim, ebony black forest. Faint beams of moonlight trickled through open patches in the leaves, and the terrain seemed to be still with no sudden movements catching her attention. After all, Mother Nature had already bid her creations a sweet goodnight.

Seconds turned into minutes before Kin finally loosened out of her inelastic stance. A set of clammy hands wiped over a tarnished shirt as she chastised herself for not drawing a weapon. She had choked, and it could've costed her own life.

A soft groan escaped into the depths of the endless amount of snoozing vegetation. It was decided, she'd take a break, not for sleep, but just for a moment, to rest her exhausted body. Any spot would do for now, she'd just be getting back onto her aching feet within the hour. Rationally there was no need to hide amongst the brush and undergrowth, as the lack of light did an excellent job of keeping her small frame tucked out of sight.

She let her fatigued body ungracefully skid down the trunk of the nearest tree. Its rough, earthy bark nipped and bit at any exposed skin. A soft 'thump' was heard as her bottom and money-filled satchel less than gently made contact with the cool dirt. The hard ground was no downy filled mattress, but Kin inwardly admitted it was nice and slumped further against the towering ligneous plant.

The dull, un-rhythmic songs of lonely crickets had begun to lull the girl into a groggy doze. Each eyelid seemed to weigh as much as an elephant and displayed no mercy on the struggle to stay awake. Before Kin knew it, sleep had overcome her body quicker than Kakuzu could count a short stack of bills.

A vast black expansion sailed about her unconscious wits through closed eyes. Not, one, not even the slight of a single dream made an appearance within her resting mind.

* * *

"Pein," Kakuzu's gruff voice echoed through the stone hall as he knocked on the thick, wooden door. "I need to have a word with you."

The door creaked open, revealing an astonishing pair of purple eyes, decorated with several thin, circular rings. "This must be the reason why you came back so late last night." He paused, "Empty handed might I add." Agile fingertips pushed his door the rest of the way open, granting entry to his office.

Pein didn't return back to his chair, but instead he stood behind a large stone desk, both hands pressed against its smooth surface, he obviously was not anywhere near pleased.

"Come, have a seat Kakuzu." His lips pressed into a firm line, "But, I'm sure there's good reason for your return."

Pein trusted in his decisions, as he was one of the most clear thinking members in the Akatsuki.

The masked man nodded in agreement before locking eyes with his higher up. The kingpin of this underground criminal organization never did strike terror into either of his hearts, making one-on-one confrontations such as this, well, a cinch. Kakuzu was more than sure that Pein would comply; after all, this was for the 'greater good' of the Akatsuki.

Tch, the Akatsuki, this suggestion would in fact be better for himself, rather than this blasted organization. His greedy soul would get his source of money back without that nettlesome girl getting in the way. And perhaps, maybe he'd just 'accidentally' snap her neck.

"I have a proposition for you."

The ginger-haired man nodded, seemingly intrigued, "Go on."

"Not only would this benefit us financially, but it would also provide a way of accessing valuable information, without causing suspicion and could quite possibly make it easier to lure out jinchuuriki." Kakuzu stated, beginning to sound like an unfaltering salesman. The man clearly knew his material, and 'no' was definitely not the answer he was looking for.

"And just what exactly is this little 'benefit'?" he questioned, genuinely curious of what his subordinate would reply with next.

"A bounty hunter." Kakuzu's mouth flipped into a dramatic scowl under his mask. His answer sounded far from impressive.

"Just a bounty hunter?" Pein pressed.

"Not just any bounty hunter," Kakuzu paused to pull a small booklet from the inner pocket of his cloak and slid it across Pein's large desk with the slight flick of his fingers. "this individual's been able to out hunt me for the past few months."

Purple eyes skimmed over every detail of the scant, quickly scribbled information. "I assure you've not lost your touch." He mused, continuing to leaf back and forth through his thorough notes.

To be able to out bounty hunt fierce competition was impressive and there was no doubt about this woman being useful. There also stood the possibility that each of these kills could have just been timing and coincidence, but Pein decided to take that chance, as he trusted Kakuzu's judgment.

"The Akatsuki could very well benefit from an additional member," Pein's eyes narrowed as he slid the booklet back to Kakuzu, "but there's always the risk of outsiders leeching information about us to unknown sources."

* * *

**A/n:** Hopefully no one's ooc-y or anything o;

-Um, today's interesting fact, according to one of the Naruto data books, is; Kakuzu's birthday corresponds with the astrological sign Leo, who rules the heart, the organ he collects from defeated enemies_  
_

-Merrrr, well I bid you all a good evening- or day!


End file.
